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Successor Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
The speed at which
Hello,
I would like to hear your opinion on the following sentences:
1. No ornithologist has been able to determine HOW FAST THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS FLIES..
2. The SPEED AT WHICH THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS FLIES cannot have been determined by any ornithologist.
3. The SPEED OF THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS cannot have been determined by any ornithologist.
Do you find them synonymous or is there any difference in meaning between them? I personally don't like the third one.
Thank you for your answers!
I would like to hear your opinion on the following sentences:
1. No ornithologist has been able to determine HOW FAST THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS FLIES..
2. The SPEED AT WHICH THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS FLIES cannot have been determined by any ornithologist.
3. The SPEED OF THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS cannot have been determined by any ornithologist.
Do you find them synonymous or is there any difference in meaning between them? I personally don't like the third one.
Thank you for your answers!
Top answer
Two and three make no sense. " With number one, it may be possible to determing X. With numbers two and three, it is deemed impossible.
- Two and three make no sense.
- " With number one, it may be possible to determing X.
- With numbers two and three, it is deemed impossible.
- Ability is not a quality which may be attributed to speed .
- " I suppose you might say something silly like, "The speed cannot have been determined.
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10 Answers
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Two and three make no sense. If you wish to use "cannot," stick with present tense, "cannot be determined." If you wish to use the passive voice, use "has not been determined."
With number one, it may be possible to determing X.
With numbers two and three, it is deemed impossible.
Ability is not a quality which may be attributed to speed. We can't say "
With number one, it may be possible to determing X.
With numbers two and three, it is deemed impossible.
Ability is not a quality which may be attributed to speed. We can't say "
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OK. If we use present tense in sentences 2 and 3 do they all then mean the same?
1. No ornithologist has been able to determine HOW FAST THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS FLIES.
2. The SPEED AT WHICH THIS SPECIED OF BIRDS FLIES cannot be determined by any ornithologist.
3. The SPEED OF THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS cannot be determined by any ornithologist.
1. No ornithologist has been able to determine HOW FAST THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS FLIES.
2. The SPEED AT WHICH THIS SPECIED OF BIRDS FLIES cannot be determined by any ornithologist.
3. The SPEED OF THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS cannot be determined by any ornithologist.
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No, they don't mean the same thing, but they're all reasonable sentences.
To say that something cannot be done means it's impossible.
To say that no one has [thus far] been able to do something, does not mean it's impossible!
In the 1950's it would have been correct to say, "No astronaut has been able to land on the moon."
But it would not have be
To say that something cannot be done means it's impossible.
To say that no one has [thus far] been able to do something, does not mean it's impossible!
In the 1950's it would have been correct to say, "No astronaut has been able to land on the moon."
But it would not have be
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Well, of course not. The sentences below are in the same tense, and thus mean the same, but I still don't like number 3.
1. No ornithologist is able to determine HOW FAST THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS FLIES.
2. The SPEED AT WHICH THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS FLIES cannot be determined by any ornithologist.
3. The SPEED OF THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS cannot be determined by any ornitholog
1. No ornithologist is able to determine HOW FAST THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS FLIES.
2. The SPEED AT WHICH THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS FLIES cannot be determined by any ornithologist.
3. The SPEED OF THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS cannot be determined by any ornitholog
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I'm not sure what bothers you about #3. 3 & 2 mean the same thing. It's just a matter of style.
They're closer to the same meaning, now that they're all in simple present. We still have the difference of active voice vs. passive voice.
I think "No A is able to X" is not as airtight as "X cannot be done by an A." I may be wrong, but I think the first version allows that some
They're closer to the same meaning, now that they're all in simple present. We still have the difference of active voice vs. passive voice.
I think "No A is able to X" is not as airtight as "X cannot be done by an A." I may be wrong, but I think the first version allows that some
00
In a previous CPE-exam there was a Key Word Transformation -question:
Nobody could have predicted how quickly the rumour would spread.
SPEED
The .......................... could not have been predicted.
The right answer was: The speed at which the rumour spread could not have been predicted.
At least in this case we cannot talk about "the speed of the rumour"
Nobody could have predicted how quickly the rumour would spread.
SPEED
The .......................... could not have been predicted.
The right answer was: The speed at which the rumour spread could not have been predicted.
At least in this case we cannot talk about "the speed of the rumour"
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If we use the modal verb CAN in the first sentence as well, they all come closer in meaning, I guess, since CAN refers to general ability.
1. No ornithologist can determine HOW FAST THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS FLIES.
2. The SPEED AT WHICH THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS FLIES cannot be determined by any ornithologist.
3. The SPEED OF THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS cannot be determined by any orni
1. No ornithologist can determine HOW FAST THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS FLIES.
2. The SPEED AT WHICH THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS FLIES cannot be determined by any ornithologist.
3. The SPEED OF THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS cannot be determined by any orni
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successor The right answer was: The speed at which the rumour spread could not have been predicted.We've been through a lot of transformations here. I guess I got what I deserved. At the present stage, the difference between "speed could not have been predicted" and "speed cannot be measured" is one of tense, and also one of convention.
With t
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successorIf we use the modal verb CAN in the first sentence as well, they all come closer in meaning, I guess, since CAN refers to general ability.
1. No ornithologist can determine HOW FAST THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS FLIES.
2. The SPEED AT WHICH THIS SPECIES OF BIRDS FLIES cannot be determined by any ornithologist.
3. The SPEED OF THIS SPECIES OF BIRD
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